“Eroded Hills” — Eroded hills of dark material dotted with desert plants.
This is, in several ways, kind of an odd Death Valley photograph. The fine-grained gravel covering the slopes and hills here are not widespread in the park — in most places the ground tends to be lighter in color. On the other hand, the curving shapes and runoff erosion channels are seen elsewhere, as are the plants. (If you look very closely, you will see not only the larger green plants but lots of small wildflower shoots just emerging.)
“Trogir Waterfront, Morning” — Morning along the waterfront as clouds build, Trogir, Croatia.
I made this photograph close to the conclusion of early morning photography in Trogir, Croatia. We arrived in the old town on the island before sunrise and photographed the nearly deserted narrow, cobblestone streets, the architecture, and a few people who were out early, getting the town ready for the coming onslaught of visitors. As we finished — and before stoping for coffee nearby — we emerged on this side of the island, facing the channel between it and the part of the town across the water.
It was a really lovely morning. The warm sunlight was muted a bit as clouds appeared and a large thunderstorm appeared to develop over the city of Split, down the coast. Here we just had the over-spill from that mighty cloud — just enough to make the sky more interesting and to soften the light a bit.
“Deserted Street, Orvieto” — A nearly-empty back street in Orvieto, Italy.
I suppose I could title this, “Yet Another Italian Street,” right? I have shared quite a few of them! Like some of the other recent photographs, this one also comes from the hill town of Orvieto. I made the photograph on a back street away from the popular tourist areas of the town, and at a time of day when fewer visitors would be about.
For those of us who live in the United States, it is hard to imagine what it much be like to live in these towns. We’re used to wide streets, lined with areas to park, then curbs and sidewalks and often some kind of open area in front of buildings. But these old streets were constructed in a very different time, when the automobile was not king. The buildings open right onto the avenues, which are great for walking but barely wide enough for motor traffic.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
“Duomo Facade, Orvieto” — The highly detailed facade of the Orvieto Duomo.
It seems like almost every Italian town has its duomo, or cathedral. All that I’ve seen are impressive, but some have especially notable features. This one is in Orvieto, a lovely hill town in Umbria. Oddly, even through we were dropped off very near this cathedral when we arrived, it wasn’t until later that we finally took the time to visit it. The inside is very interesting, but it seems to me that the ornate work on the exterior is the most impressive.
The detail is remarkable, from the sculpted shapes to the statuary to the beautiful mosaics. It is hard to imagine the amount of craftsmanship and artistic talent that must have gone into producing it. Almost any square foot of the exterior would be remarkable on its own, but the fact that it covers so much space is almost unbelievable.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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